Egyptian Civilization and Art
History is nothing but the storytelling of the past outside of us. History continues its meaning not with where it started, but with whom it was written. Power relations, non-objective views, ethnocentrism are important elements that affect the writing of history.
When we say philosophy, art and science, we think of Greek civilization. References to this civilization are elements that have already existed in Egypt and Mesopotamia for thousands of years. How the Greek civilization was able to get ahead of these two is incomprehensible! Finding the first writing by the Egyptians and the fact that this writing is more pictorial requires us to call the Egyptians the first painters. Especially their interest in death and their thinking about their philosophy in this dimension played an important role in shaping their culture and art. The power of the despotic Egyptian kings was symbolized by their huge tombs (pyramid). The interest these tombs attract today is not only because they are considered as tombs, but also because they are works of art. The belief that the soul will eventually return to the body is the main determinant of Egyptian civilization.
The other world, despotism, immortality of the soul and the Nile make themselves felt in every aspect of life. In particular, the theme of death shows how powerful the mysterious side of Egypt is. The metaphorical description of death by death has led to the creation of works symbolizing eternity in art. Sculptures symbolizing eternity, death and dance music, paintings describing transcendence…
Egypt preserves its past mystery in our time and impresses the artists with the works produced on this subject.
Expressive approaches showed themselves in compositions constructed on linen or canvas. Pyramid form, figure and various symbols of Ancient Egypt were included in the painting works. It has been used in closed compositions as well as open compositions in studies. The compositions are constructed by using open forms side by side. Color is an element used to create a dark light effect in pictures. Brush strokes and the interaction of flat surfaces with each other, which show themselves in the works, are expressed with color when using it to distinguish dark and light surfaces. However, apart from these expressions, an understanding of color that can be called a colorist has also been used from time to time. In most of the works, the color turquoise, which represents the Nile river, the color of Ancient Egypt, comes to the fore. Cold colors that are used as weights, along with the warm colors that enter the composition, are used to emphasize a certain point. Instead of developing variations in the colors used, it is desired to draw attention to the formal rhythm by using the colors purely as they are.
The rhythmic structure in the painting is also a reference to music. Rhythm, which is one of the elements of music, was carried out with the help of color harmonization in the studies. Iconology, from which we acquire knowledge of Egyptian music, is actually nothing more than a pictorial field. Egypt has been offering us an eclectic art in which painting and music are intertwined since the first period. In some studies, the colors have been simplified and the symbols have been asked to strengthen and deepen the interaction between them. Emotional and expressive interaction is established with vivid colors. With the variety of colors in the paintings, it was aimed to combine the symbols from our childhood with the symbols of Ancient Egypt and to open the symbols to our dream world. Thus, the symbols were taken out of their historical context and transformed into our own dreams. Stories were created around the symbols and the symbols were emphasized.
